avec Restaurant

Reviews 4

AA

Aaron Melamed

Honestly top three restaurant experiences I have ever had in my entire life. Probably the best I have ever had in Chicago. The only downsides to this place is the wait (which is most certainly worth it) and the fact that its on the smaller side. Came here with a party of 6 and we were told an hour and a half wait. The hostess was awesome and told us about CH distillery which is right down the street and has lots of great cocktails and much more space. We went there while we waited and the hostess said we would get a text when our table was ready. After drinking a tasty cocktail over there we returned and only waited about 10 minutes until our table was ready. This is where things got good. We ordered a bottle of wine for the table (one of the cheaper reds) and it was good and complimented the food very well. It was also suggested to us by the sommelier/waitress who knew the most about the wines. Food wise we ordered the following, Large Plates: 1. wood-fired pizza with PQM pancetta, pear, blue cheese panna and arugula 2. slow roasted pork shoulder with clams, braised greens, potato and linguica sausage 3. "deluxe" focaccia with taleggio cheese, ricotta, truffle oil and fresh herbs 4. whole roasted fish with olives, fennel, arugula, charred orange and lavender vinaigrette Small Plates: 1. whipped brandade with garlic bread and chives 2. chorizo-stuffed medjool dates with smoked bacon and piquillo pepper-tomato sauce We got a double order of each small plate. The fact that they do small plates and large plates is great. It was perfect for sharing and if youre there by yourself or with just one person a large plate is a great amount for one person. Everything here was crazy amazing and my taste buds and my brain still cant fully comprehend how they made some of this stuff taste so good. The only thing that I wouldnt order again but was still tasty was the Large Plate #3. It was a lot simpler than the other dishes and didnt pack as much flavor and was a tad bit bitter. I would love to try some more of their menu (even though Im at least half way through it) and I would HIGHLY recommend the chorizo stuffed & bacon wrapped dates and the slow roasted pork shoulder. The dates melt in your mouth and go through three stages of delicious flavor and two stages of meat. The pork shoulder is slow roasted all together with the other ingredients in a deep metal dish and the flavors blend perfectly and everything just falls off the bone. If you are considering going here for dinner, stop thinking about it and just do it. You will NOT be disappointed.

BE

Berseker Mayan

Let’s face it, the section of West Randolph east of the highway isn’t exactly going to win any awards. It’s a non-descript Chicago street lined with generic type buildings on a not-so-busy road, though its only on a street like this where you can find a high end hole in the wall restaurant. But what a hole this is! You better know where you’re going before you get there, because Avec isn’t advertising. During the summer, you may see a small group of well dressed winos slurping their reds in front of the narrow store front, but in the winter, you’ll need to head in through the side door. Upon entering, you’ll notice Avec isn’t much more than a small rectangular tube of wood, metal and glass. Ikea-esque picnic tables line the right side of the room, while the left is dominated by a stainless steel bar. Pick your pleasure, but either way you’re bound to be eating, and talking, with strangers. Avec is a wine bar. Or maybe its one of those small plate restaurants that have become so trendy as of lately. I guess it doesn’t really matter, because the wine is there to compliment the food and the food certainly repays the favor. The focus is Mediterranean, with the flavors of Italy, Spain, and Southern France. Not surprisingly, the wine list tends to focus on the same. There are no new world wines here. No California, Chile, Oregon, or Australia. And what is represented from the old world isn’t the usual players. Lesser known, but equally impressive, grapes that are a bit more “rustic” in their presentation. In regards to the food, my personal favorites center around the homemade salumi and the cheese board, but on a recent visit, I had the sweetbreads, which were excellent. Service is knowledgeable, though it is a bit uneven. As the night progresses, service tends to decline, while the convivial atmosphere tends to ramp up. If you enjoy a close quarters festive atmosphere, Avec will satisfy, but if you’re looking to be waited on hand and foot, you might look elsewhere. Reservations not accepted. Popular with the out-of-towners.

RO

Rob Birse

We were looking forward to dining at Avec, the menu looked awesome and the feedback was unanimous so we were a little surprised to be disappointed. The restaurant as you most likely know operates on a communal basis, sharing tables. It’s truly amazing how they operate in such a small space but they do. The service was excellent. Wine – the list is small but offers a decent selection. We struggled to find a bottle to fit our preference and the food we intended to order. But you can always bring your own for a corkage fee of $20. Food – we started with the chicken liver crostini with rhubarb mostarda and it was delicious. Just what we were hoping for. Next came the small plate special, Ramps, the veg that gave Chicago it’s name and they too were delicious. The last of our small plates, charred Calamari. I liked it but my wife wasn’t impressed. All-in-all a very good start. Then came the large plates. To our surprise it was like receiving food from a different kitchen. We ordered the tagine of roasted cauliflower and the paella. There was next to no cauliflower in the tagine and while the favor was ok it could not overcome the lack of substance. Then came the paella. Not sure it qualifies to be called a paella. The rice is was over cooked and bland. It almost felt like the rice had been cooked separately then the shrimp and a piece of chicken had been thrown in before being served. Very poor effort. So all in all we were very pleased with the start and very disappointed with the finish. Not sure we would recommend or return.

A

A Private User

My colleagues and I walked into Avec for a late dinner (around 10:15 p.m.) and were put on a wait list by the hostess, who recommended that we actually wait at the restaurant next door being as Avec was packed and there was no sufficient waiting area. By 11:15 p.m. I walked back over to Avec and was told by the hostess that she had completely forgotten about our party and she had a table ready for us. We waited another 15 minutes for the table, finally sat down, and ordered. I had the cheese plate (which is nearly impossible to screw up) and the squash salad (which was not delicious). My colleagues ordered the pork shoulder and swordfish; both were disappointed. The staff forgot we had ordered the stuffed dates as an appetizer, so this item arrived after we had finished our meal. The dates are supposedly a specialty at Avec, but Ive had better (at Cheesecake Factory no less.) Also, my water glass had a black substance in the bottom of it and when I asked for it to be replaced no apology was provided. All in all... the service at Avec not even close to top-notch, the food left much to be desired, and the overall experience was extremely disappointing. I will not be returning to Avec.